Lifting and supporting rack for automobiles



Aug. 3 1926.

E. KEY'WORTH LIFTING AND SUPPORTING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Oct. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet h!-I-n-F----- xmw mmm Aug.

5'. ,KEYWORTH v LIFTING AND SUPPORTING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 8

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Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

V 1,594,840 PATENT OFFICE.

ELGIN KEYWORTH, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANAIOA.

LIIETING AND SUPPORTING RACK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed October My invention relates to improvements in lifting and supporting racks or tables for automobiles and the object of-the invention is to provide an improved lifting and supporting rack for use in, garages and repalr shops whereby automobiles may be very conveniently and rapidly raised and lowered and supported at any desired height so as to enable workmen to' have ready and convenient access to the under portions of the car for cleaning, inspection and repalring; a further object is to provide such a rack which will be below the floor level whe full lowered. v y invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawlngs in which:

Fig. 1 is a top planview of my improved rack, the covering floor boards being removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my'improved rack in the lowered position, the floor and concrete foundation together with the pit into' which the rack decends, being shown in section and most of the floor boards being removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectlon to an enlarged scale taken on the lines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2, the covering floor boards being shown in place.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various views.

In the form of my invention illustrated, 1

indicates the floor of a garage in which is formed a pit 2, the floor of the pit being in the nature of a comparatively deep concrete foundation.

Four tubulaf upright standards 4 are anchored in the concrete foundation 3, the

lower ends of these standards carrying foot ings 5 for further securing the standardsin position. W

The upper ends of these standards project into the it 2.

Four threa ed lifting screws 6 are freely mounted within the tubular standards 4 and are a snug sliding fit therein to prevent any lateral play of these screws, as will be hereinafter referred to.

Surmounting the upper ends of the tubular standards 4 are caps 7.

Having threaded engagement upon each screw '6, is an internally threaded sprocket 8, 1925. Serial No. 61,333.

wheel 8 and mounted between each sprocket wheel and the corresponding cap- 7 is any suitable form of thrust bearing 9. I

An endless chain 10 operatively connects the four sprocket wheels 8, so that they are Supported upon the upper ends of the four screws 6, is a main frame indicated collectlvely b the numeral 16. V

This mam rame comprises two transverse bars 17,, which are directly supported upon the screws 6.

Supported upon the cross bars 17 are two parallel side members 18 extending longitudinally of the frame and being formed of two channel or angle bars with the flanges thereof directed inwardly.

Slidably mountedbetween the'side bars 18 is a subsidiary frame 19, which frame is slidable longitudinally of the mainframe and is adapted to extend outwardly from one'end of the main frame.

'lhis end for purposes of description will be called the front end. I

The side bars 18 are secured to the transverse bars 17 by brackets 20,

Mounted upon the main frame at the rear end thereof and centrally of the'width of the frame is an upwardly directed seat element 21.

Mounted at the front end of the subsidiary frame and towards each side thereof is an upwardly directed seat element 22.

The covering floor boards for the pit are indicated by the numeral 23.

The construction and operation of my invention is as follows From the foregoing description, it will be evident that when the motor 11. is operated, the four sprocket wheels 8 will be. rotated simultaneously through the medium of the pinion 15, crown wheel 24 and endless chain 10 and this rotation may be in either direction as desired.

As the sprockets 8 rotate, the screws 6 which have threaded engagement therein, will be raised or lowered as the case may be depending upon the direction of rotation of these sprockets. When the rack is fully lowered it lies slightly below the floor level so that the cover boards 23 for the pit may occupy their normal position at the floor level and the entire device will be covered.-

each side thereof.

The rack is then raised to any desired height by further. operation of the motor 11 and it will be evident that the frame must remain horizontal at all times, since all the screws 6 move upwardly or downwardly in unison.

When it desired to again lower the auto mobile, the motor 11 is merely operated in the reverse direction.

In order to insure that the frame will be perfectly steady and rigid at all times the screws 6 are a snug sliding fit within the tubular standards 4 so that no lateral play .is permitted them.

The thrush-between the sprockets 8 and the standards 4 is carried by the thrust bearin% 9. i p

y the provision of three seating elements 21 and 22, a three point support is provided for the automobile. Y

An important feature of my invention is the provision, of the longitudinally slidable subsidiary frame 19, whereby the-position of the front seat elements, 22 with respect tothe rear'seat element 21 may be varied askdesired'sothatautomobiles of any wheel {base may be accommodated.

" From thei foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved lifting and supporting rack for automobiles whereby the objects of my invention have been at tained and whereby automobiles may be very rapidly raised or lowered and supported at any desired height.

Various modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claim and therefore the exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire that only such limitations H shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the ap ended claim.

For instance while I have shown the use of sprocket wheels connected, by an endless chain it will be evident that other well known mechanical equivalents ofthis. might 'be used. I

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with the floor of a garage provided with a depression therein, of a horizontal frame adapted to be-lowered into said depression and to lie below the floor level, u right tubular standards embedded in the cor foundation and projecting upwardly into said depression, threaded lifting screws freely mounted within said standards and projecting from the upper ends thereof, internally threaded sprocket wheels'havi-ng threaded engagement upon said screws, a thrust bearing operative y mounted between each sprocket wheel and the upper end of the corresponding standard, an endless chain 0 eratively connecting the sprocket wheels, rive means operatively connected to one of the sprocket wheels, said frame supported upon the upper ends of said screws, anda subsidiary frame carried by the aforesaid frame ,at one end thereof and slidable longitudinally thereof. 1

. ELGIN KEYWORTH. 

